Peace and cattle in South Sudan

When the South Sudan gained its independence last July, the largely Christian nation turned its back on decades of painful conflict with the predominantly Muslim North and looked forward with optimism to a new and bright future.

Yet there is a growing internal conflict that threatens to cast a shadow over the world’s newest country and derail its development at the very moment it could be taking the greatest strides.

“The problem here isn’t that Muslims are killing Christians or Christians are killing Muslims. It is that Christians are killing Christians,” says Brian Stiller, Global Ambassador of the World Evangelical Alliance.

Cattle raids, the kidnap of women and children,and a spate of killings have hit Jonglei State as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights.

An estimated 3,000 people have been killed in fighting between the Murle, Lou Nuer and Dinka Bor tribes in recent months.

Cattle, a measure of personal wealth and status, are a firebrand in the conflict. Young men are often concerned with building up their herds in order to pay wedding dowries for their brides. In some places, cattle rustling is a boy’s rite of passage into manhood.

With one cow costing up to $1,250, there is considerable resentment towards looters and a desire to carry out acts of vengeance that is not easily tempered.

“The tribes are rooted in centuries-old, culturally engrained habits and age-old resentments,” Mr Stiller explains.

“Cattle here defines life and shapes their sense of wellbeing.

“This finds its way into the most central of tribal life – marriage. Who decides who will marry whom matters. But possibly more important, what will my daughter fetch?

“Dowry is the arbitrator.”

Mr Stiller was at last week’s peace talks in the western city of Yei, hosted by the World Evangelical Alliance.

Around 100 representatives from the three tribes took part in the talks aimed at ending the fighting and fostering reconciliation.

Although many in South Sudan still practise tribal religions, the Christian faith is “accepted as the common point in beginning this attempt to secure peace”, says Mr Stiller.

“They understand faith language. While in some countries, governments put in place policies to keep Christian agencies out, South Sudan is open and willing.”

It is the engrained culture and the collective memories, however, that are “harder to crack”.

Communities hope for peaceful and fulfilling lives just like people everywhere, but “outside help is needed”, says Mr Stiller.

The much-needed construction of roads and other infrastructure is not going to be possible without “major input from others”.

“Health, education, and creative training in agriculture and husbandry are on the top of a to-do list [that is] tough and daunting enough to stretch big-thinking philanthropists,” he says.

The peace conference was the idea of Bishop Elias Taban, of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in South Sudan.

Bishop Taban, a trained civil engineer, has led his congregation in Yei in running schools, an orphanage, and businesses. Their next goal is to open a university.

He believes the people of Jonglei State can do what his church is doing and develop enterprises of their own.

It’s a vision Mr Stiller thinks could help South Sudan get back on track.

“Heroic efforts of church and ministry agencies, spotted about the countryside, are powerful testimonies to what can be done. Surely more of this is needed,” he said.

There is a “but” in all this, though, and to Mr Stiller it is the people themselves.

“Their soil of development will lay barren until they themselves want change and transformation.”

Within South Sudan, tribal leaders, NGOs, the church and political leaders will have to work together. And the rest of the world will have to work with them.

He concludes: “The people making up the newest nation on planet Earth need our attention if they are to remake swords into ploughshares.”